Car-coupling.



No. 730,033.' PATENTBD'JNEZ, 1903.

J. LONGINOTTE.

CAR COUPLING. APPLIoATIoN FILED un. 14, 190i '-i ifwf, f

UNITED STATES JOSEPH LoNGiNoTTE,

OINOINNATI, OHIO.

OAR-COUPLING.

sPEciEIoATIoN forming part of 'Letters Patent No. 730,033, daten rune 2,1903, Application lecl March 14,1903. Serial llo. 147,755. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOSEPH Loncnvorrn, acitizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton andV State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplers, of which thefollowing'is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvementin car-couplings, and moreparticularly to means for opening the knuckle after it has been unlockedby the locking device.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and certain means,adaptable to many of the commonly-termed twin-j aw couplers, forthrowing the knuckle open when the latter is unlocked by the locking pinor device, and thus obviate the necessity of a man en tering between thecars to` open the knuckle by hand. I am aware that there have been manyattempts to accomplish this object, some using a spring adapted to actdirectly or through intermediate members upon the knuckle; but springsare not positive. Others have arranged the locking device so that theforce of gravity can cause it to throw open the knuckle; but this 'alsois not positive. Still others have used a cam-surface on the lockingdevice for this purpose,` and while this gives a positive means forthrowing Athe knuckle open it also makes the locking-pin` Work hard. Myinvention has the advantages 0f a cam for insuring the certain openingof a knuckle; but it doesinot work as hard because of a spring which Ihave devised to' assist the cam or inclined surface,the said springhaving been compressed-when the coupling took place, and it can bestrong enough te open the-knuckle with little or no help of the cam, thelatter only making the action of the former certain, as the spring alonemight fail to open the knuckle because of rusting after long standing orbecause it had become Weak throughmuch use.

Referring to the drawings, which form a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a sectional view of Fig. 2 on the vline X X, showing theknuckle 3 in its closed position pivotally mounted upon the pin 8 and myimproved opening-lever 4 pivotally mounted on the pin G and having acavity 4 containing a spiral spring 5, mounted upon the pin G. The endsof the spring are held in compression between the side of the cavity v4land the coupler-head l, thus causing the end 4'" of the lever 4 to presson the knuckle 3 in the direction of the arrow. The lever 4 has a tail4', the underpartof which, 4"", is beveled, shown more clearly in Fig.2, which is a partial sectional view of Fig. l on the line YY. Thisinclined surface is adapted to coact with an inof or attached to thelocking pin or device 7, as will now be explained, together with thewhole action of my improved knuckle-opener. The knuckle being closed, asshown in Figs; 1

` ,and 2, it is unlocked and opened as follows:

The locking-pin 7 is raised by any of the usual means until the edge ofthe inclined portion 7 is above the tail 3 of the knuckle, when thespring 5, through the lever 4, Willv very nearly or altogether push theknuckle into the open position dotted 'in Fig. l but to assist andl makecertain the action of the spring the locking-pin is further raised toits highest position, (shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2,) bringingthe inclined surface 7 on the locking-pin into operative contact Withthe inclined surface 4" on the tail 4 of the lever 4 and forcing thelever into the dotted position shown in Fig. l, thus making the openingofthe knuckle certain when the lock ing-pin is wholly raised.

I do not conne .my invention to this para ticular construction, for itis clear that the lug 7 and inclined surface 7'" could be formed onalmost any knuckle-unlocking de*- vice and the coupler-head arranged t0contain my knuckle-opening lever, having an in- `clined surface 4"".

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent* l. In a car-coupling, the combination with acoupler-head, of a knuckle pivoted therein, a knuckle-unlockingdevicehaving a cam-surface adapted to coact with a cam-surface on aspring-actuated member, to insure the certain opening of the knuckle,substantially as described. 'y Y 2. In a car-coupling, vthe combinationwith a coupler-head, of a knuckle pivoted therein, a locking pin havingan inclined surface adapted to coact with an inclined surface on aspring-actuated lever, to insure the certain clined surface '7' on thelug 7, forming apart 1 opening oi the knuckle, substantially as(lescribed.

Ina ca1'eoi1pling, the combination with a coupler-head, of a knucklepivoted therein, and adapted when moved into its coupled position to belocked by a locking` device, and also to move a spring-actuated memberhaving an inclined surface, into a position to be actuated by aninclined surface on the unlocking device, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

l. In a car-coupling, the combination with a coupler-head, of a knucklepivoted therein,

a locking-pin having` an inclined surface, adapted to coact with aninclined surface on a spri11gactuated lever, the spring,` being1 locatedin a cavity in the level' and on the ii'ulcrnm thereof substantially asand for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribingwitnesses.

JOSEPH LONGINOTTE. lVitncsses:

JOHN J. DoWNEY, H. R. KENNEDY.

